Here's when and where to remember veterans at Memorial Day ceremonies in Door County
DOOR COUNTY - As Americans get ready to hold parties, fire up their grills, travel, watch racing and other sports, or even just stay home and chill over the Memorial Day weekend, it's also time for special ceremonies to remember those no longer with us who served this country.
Four American Legion posts on the Peninsula are holding ceremonies to remember military veterans who have died, with one taking place Sunday and the other three Monday. Here's a look at those ceremonies.
Southern Door
George W. Goetz American Legion Post of Forestville will conduct brief ceremonies with a rifle salute and playing of taps Sunday, May 28, at 24 cemeteries in southern Door County, followed by a special memorial ceremony and potluck lunch.
The cemetery visits are at 7:20 a.m. at Forestville Town, 7:30 a.m. at Pit Road in Namur, 7:40 a.m. at Brockhausen, 7:50 a.m. at Miesere, 7:55 a.m. at Brown (these first five are with split squads), 8:05 a.m. at Kolberg, 8:20 a.m. at Brussels, 8:30 a.m. at White Star, 8:40 a.m. at Precious Blood, 8:50 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic, 9 a.m. at Stevenson, 9:10 a.m. at Geises, 9:55 a.m. at Maplewood, 10:10 a.m. at Carnot, 10:25 a.m. at Clay Banks, 10:35 a.m. at Vignes, 10:45 a.m. at Mount Olive, 10:55 a.m. at Shiloh Moravian, 11:05 a.m. at Schumacher, 11:15 a.m. at Hainesville, 11:35 a.m. at Salem-Schulties, 11:50 a.m. Forestville and 12:10 p.m. at Old Catholic between Maplewood and Forestville.
Then, a special ceremony commemorating local veterans who died in the past 10 years will be held at Forestville Town Hall at about 12:30 p.m., with a flag placed at town hall for each of those departed veterans and a potluck lunch for Legion members. Guests are asked to bring a dish of any kind to pass.
The post's honor guard also will present the colors for the Kolberg Braves' baseball game when they host the Sister Bay Bays in Door County League action at 1:30 p.m.
For more information, visit the Post 372 auxiliary's Facebook page at facebook.com/Post372.
Sister Bay
Billy Weiss American Legion Post 527 of Sister Bay holds its Memorial Day ceremonies starting at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 29, at Little Sister Cemetery, on Little Sister Road next to Bay Ridge Golf Course.
The Gibraltar Band will open the event by playing patriotic songs under the direction of veteran Charlie Eckhardt, and veterans will present the colors at the memorial flagpole in the cemetery before "The Star-Spangled Banner." Post 527 Commander Tom Kowalski will read a poem for veterans and Don Sitte will read the names of those vets from Northern Door County who died in the past year.
Musical selections during the program include patriotic music sung by a choir and played by the Gibraltar Band, and Legion Bugler Dale Seaquist will sound taps for a 77th consecutive year. To close the ceremony, Dave Gunderson will lead a singing of "God Bless America."
If planning to attend, bring a chair. The location for inclement weather will be at First Baptist Church, 2622 S. Bay Shore Drive (State 42), Sister Bay.
Sturgeon Bay
Brief ceremonies will be conducted Monday, May 29, by members of American Legion Post 72 at Bayside Cemetery at 8:30 a.m., St. Joseph’s cemetery at 9 a.m. and Sturgeon Bay Health Services (at Golden Living Center - The Dorchester) at 9:30 a.m. before the main ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department, 421 Michigan St. The public is asked to bring lawn chairs because seating will be limited.
The Peninsula Symphonic Band will play patriotic music before and during the ceremony. An invocation will be delivered by Moravian Church Bishop Paul Graf, veterans in attendance and families of vets will be acknowledged, and names will be read of all Door County veterans killed in action. A rifle squad and playing of taps will salute the veterans.
Washington Island
American Legion Post 402 holds its ceremony on the Island at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 29, at Bethel Church, on Main Road and Jackson Harbor Road. Along with prayers and a speech, a reading of essays by three Island students will be held as well as a singalong of patriotic songs.
After the church ceremony, guests can go to the town cemetery, about a quarter-mile away, for the laying of a memorial wreath, a roll call of the names of the roughly 275 veterans from the Island who have died, a rifle squad salute and playing of taps. Guests can then continue just past the cemetery to Schoolhouse Beach for a prayer, rifle salute and playing of taps, with a wreath laid on the beach.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Memorial Day in Door County: Here's when, where to remember veterans
